THE DIANA CHRONICLES

Tina Brown, former editor-in-chief of TATTLER, offers an insider's view of a young woman caught up in a whirlwind, and Rosalyn Landor's cultivated voice delivers the saga of Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, with dignity and distance. The fairy-tale princess, adored by the press and the public, was considerably more than a two-dimensional cutout. She was neither liked by nor welcomed into the Royal Family, and was largely ignored by Prince Charles. Brown notes that pretty little Diana was a spoiled and bratty child, and that as a young woman she was capable of calculated viciousness. Full of juicy tidbits, the book depicts Diana from spirited youngster to media darling, managing to avoid sounding like backstairs gossip or tabloid prurience, thanks largely to Landor's elegant narration. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]